Superstars Have Told Vince McMahon They Will Not Return To Saudi Arabia
On the heels of the debacle that has been Crown Jewel, it’s being reported that numerous main event Superstars have flat out told Vince McMahon that they will not be returning for future shows (should there be any) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Specifically, it’s been said that Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Kofi Kingston, Andrade and Braun Strowman have stated they will no longer work WWE events in Saudi Arabia.
There are reportedly others who have indicated an unwillingness to travel to future events as well. But as yet, those names have not all surfaced. Based on social media, we can speculate on others…
Couldn’t pay me enough to go back ..
Well that’s not true, I need a second pool, so…..— Karl Anderson (@KarlAndersonWWE) November 2, 2019
Anderson’s wife chimed in too…
2nd house!! Not a pool..but don’t ever go back AGAIN! We don’t need our daddy/papi/motherlover/absanderson/besttagteam etc. being held hostage while we’re at home worried to death ❤️
— Tini (@Strawtini) November 2, 2019
If this is indeed correct (and there’s no reason to suspect it is not), this could put WWE in a bind for future shows. For the first couple shows, WWE already knew of several top Superstars who would not work a Saudi show due to various political opinions (to put it mildly).
However, with our next bit of news, this may possibly become a moot point…
WWE TALENT: There’s a very real chance that if the entire WWE/Saudi Arabia/plane/cut feed story goes mainstream, it could tank the stock, if JUST because it’ll show massive projected revenue won’t be there; even BEFORE addressing the ordeal you went thru.
You have power. Use it. https://t.co/nBHCUOFSH8
— David BixenSP??KY (@davidbix) November 3, 2019
WWE-Saudi Arabia Deal In Jeopardy?
Unsurprisingly, the messy situation that unfolded during and after Crown Jewel last week continues to give us more fallout.
It’s been well-covered to this point that, following the show, WWE Superstars were unable to depart Saudi Arabia in a timely fashion. Initially, reports indicated that the charter was experiencing multiple mechanical failures, but it did not take long for speculation and opinion to shine another light on the extensive delay.
While there may have been some mechanical issues with the plane, the more sensitive reason appears to be a clash between Vince McMahon and the Saudi Royal Family. More specifically, it seems that there have been some missed payments from KSA to WWE.
McMahon Cut Crown Jewel Live Feed
This situation led to McMahon cutting the Crown Jewel live feed in country for nearly an hour, before it seemed a compromise was reached during the show. However, following the show, the feeling is the travel delays were a response from the government.
Now, there are rumblings that the deal may be at risk, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia possibly pulling the plug on the deal. There’s still a lot in flux with this situation, but it absolutely bears monitoring.
Should this deal fall apart, it could be catastrophic for WWE and it’s financial health. The influx of Saudi money, while often a sensitive topic, has no doubt been a boon to WWE. It has allowed the company to spend more freely with certain Superstars, which is critical as they are now competing with AEW
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